Sports

Tuesday, May 12, 1998

Junior golf teams end up 3rd, 5th

PECOS, May 12 -- The Pecos Eagles' junior high golf teams
stayed where they were after the final round of the area
tournament this past Saturday, even though Pecos' girls were
able to beat the Loboes on their home course.

The Eagles shot a 205 over the final nine holes of the
36-hole tournament, and ended up with an 871 score. That was
three shots better than Monahans on the day, but the Loboes
began with a four shot lead on Pecos for second place, and
were able to stay there with an 870 total.

"We beat them each of the last two weeks, but just couldn't
quite overcome it," said coach Robin Land.

Pecos' boys, meanwhile, began and finished Saturday in
fifth place, and placed fifth as well on the day to close
out their 72-hole tournament. The Eagles shot a 381 and
wound up with a 1567 overall total, as Andrews' `A' and `B'
teams captured first and second overall.

The girls' total was 14 shots behind Andrews, which shot a
191 to wind up at 776 overall. The `B' teams for Andrews and
Monahans took fourth and fifth with 225-919 and 223-980
scores, while Fort Stockton's `A' team used a 236 round to
pass the Eagles' `B' team for sixth, finishing with an even
1000 total. Pecos shot a 242 to wind up at 1003, while the
Prowlers' `B' team was eighth, with a 272-1110 score.

Individually, Candace Hillard had the best round of the
day, shooting a 44 to finish in fifth place overall with a
207 total. That was one stroke and one spot behind Taryn
McNeil, who shot a 53 on Saturday.

"Candace had a great round and wound up fifth for district,
while Taryn has been up there all year. She ended up fourth,
which is good for an eighth grader, let alone a seventh
grader."

Cassie Foster also shot a 53 on Saturday and wound up with
a 232 total, while Dena Dutchover shot a 55 and wound up at
208, and Brandi North finished at 243 after a round of 59 in
Monahans.

The `B' team was led by Lauren Martinez' 56 and Rebecca
Reynolds' 60. Amanda Armstrong shot a 62, while the two `B'
team members who played all four rounds, Kristen Aguilar and
Kattie Davis, shot 64 and 66 to finish with 249 and 260
totals.

Pecos' other two golfers, Lara Weinacht and Hannah Paz,
shot 63 and 70 on Saturday.

Austin Alvarez had the boys' best round on the day,
shooting an 83 to finish with a four-round total of 363.

"Austin was fifth medalist, and he was 10th overall coming
in, so he moved up," coach Cindy Duke said. Alvarez ended up
seventh in the final standings.

Trey Perkins had the second best round for the Eagles,
shooting a 97 to end up at 405 overall. Jae Ewing shot a 101
and was at 394 overall, while David Elkins shot a 100 and
ended at 432. The other `A' team golfer, Jack Stickels, shot
a 107, and finished with a 419 overall.

Meanwhile, the `B' team shot a 407, to close out the
tournament with a 1705 total. They were led by a 100 score
from Travis Thorp, while Trey Edwards and Chase Laurence
both shot 102s, Jose Rivera had a 103 and David Bradley a
105. None played in all four tournament rounds, and Duke
said Saturday was the first round for Rivera.

Andrews won with a 1329 score, after a 327 round Saturday,
and their `B' team finished at 1437 with a 347 round.
Monahans was third overall at 1477, after a round of 357,
while Fort Stockton was third on the day and fourth overall,
at 351-1525. In-between the Eagles' teams were Fort Stockton
`B' at 398-1604; Monahans `B' at 386-1655; and Kermit at
392-1684.

Bird earns new award as `rookie'

By JR ROSSAssociated Press WriterINDIANAPOLIS, May 12 -- Before the season started, Larry
Bird said all he wanted was a player who would keep his
mouth shut and play hard.

So far, that formula has worked, giving the Pacers a 3-1
lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference
semifinals and earning Larry Legend coach of the year
honors.

Bird, one of the few superstar players to successfully make
the jump to the coaching ranks, today will become only the
second player in NBA history to earn rookie and coach of the
year honors, The Associated Press has learned.

Two sources close to the NBA who spoke on condition they not
be identified confirmed that Bird would be presented the IBM
Coach of the Year award today at Market Square Arena.

Pacers spokesman David Benner would not confirm the reports,
but he said the Pacers will hold a news conference today for
a ``major announcement'' regarding the team and the NBA. He
and league spokesman Brian McIntyre declined to discuss the
nature of the announcement.

When Bird took over the Pacers last year, there were doubts
the superstar player would have the patience to coach
players with ordinary skills in a league whose flashy style
differs greatly from the blue-collar game Bird was famous
for.

``I'm not asking for that,'' Bird said after he was named to
coach the Eastern Conference squad in this season's All-Star
game. ``All I want is hard work in practice and for about 25
minutes in a game. ... If a guy can't give that, he doesn't
belong in the NBA.''

In his first year, Bird took a Pacers team that missed the
playoffs for the first time in eight years to its best
winning percentage in franchise history. The team's 58 wins
were second-best in the NBA's Eastern Conference.

``Who in their right mind wouldn't listen to what Larry Bird
tells them?'' Pacer Reggie Miller once said. ``He knows what
it takes to be a successful player, and he's letting us do
the things to have the success.''

The Indianapolis Star reported in today's editions that Bird
is believed to have received nearly half the votes cast by
NBA media representatives, winning in a landslide over
Cleveland's Mike Fratello and Utah's Jerry Sloan.

Bird has often downplayed the possibility of winning the
honor, deflecting praise to his assistant coaches, Dick
Harter and Rick Carlisle, and to his players.

But Pacers players point to his no-frills, democratic style
of coaching as the impetus behind their success.

``He's absolutely the coach of the year,'' point guard Mark
Jackson said. ``I think it's a no-brainer, because he's
allowed us to be ourselves.''

Bird already had cemented his future as a Hall of Famer
before taking over the Pacers last year after coach Larry
Brown moved to the Philadelphia 76ers. The 12-time All-Star
was the league's MVP three times and took the playoff MVP
award in 1984 and 1986. He also was named the MVP of the
1982 All-Star game.

Bird joins fellow Celtic Tom Heinsohn as the only two people
to win both the rookie and coach of the year awards. In
1980, Bird was named NBA Rookie of the Year after leading
the Celtics to a league-best 61-21 record, a 32-game
improvement over the previous season. Heinsohn won the
rookie award in 1957 and the coaching award in 1973.